In my PR experience, it’s best to start with the 5 W’s… and you are already aware of the what. You’re planning your wedding. (Yay!)

WHATWHEREWHEN WHO WHY (HOW)

You can totally figure this out.

When

My first thought about when to have our wedding was NYE. I knew a few people who had a rockin’ NYE wedding and I thought what better time to host a bash?

Holidays, travel, and potentially inclement weather in Chicago brought us back to reality. We moved on and settled on looking at 2014 dates in Feb-March-April. Spring seemed like a fabulous time to celebrate our wedding next year and in years to come. Flowers could be blooming or snow could be falling, but the chances of a travel headaches were far less than NYE. It gave us ample time to plan without feeling rushed, so we started the process right away.

Where

If you’re planning to be married in a church or place of worship, go straight to the source. It’s best to determine the ceremony “where” and “when” first, and you can determine the reception location afterward.

Some churches allow only parishoners to celebrate a wedding there. Others will welcome you with open arms, no matter where you belong. It all depends, but you never know if you don’t ask. Wise words from my pops.

Go online, call the parish offices, ask to speak to the wedding coordinator, ask about the dates you’re interested in. Or ask them about available dates.

If you are providing a one-stop shop for ceremony and reception, good for you. Way to be efficient! The events point of contact at the reception location will be more than happy to help you plan your wedding. Be prepared for the astonishing food and bev minimums! Put on your poker face.

We are getting married in Chicago, but live in South Carolina. It can take some creative finagling to plan an out of town wedding, but I haven’t heard of anyone who didn’t survive the process.